The Resistant Bodies Issue: Letter from the Editors

March 17, 2014

“What do social movements have to do with art? With media?”

It’s almost a daily occurrence: yet another screenwriter, comedian, academic, writer, or artist steals our colors to paint a picture. One that justifies the violence done to our communities, erases our trauma, and parades in the power seized in the process.

In preparing our first themed issue, the staff at As[I]Am pressed each other to say why media-making should be considered activism. We don’t pretend that art is the only way we resist. We don’t ignore the fact that for every person whose work can win visibility, there are too many among us whose labor may never earn fair wages, much less applause.

But we are tired of seeing our bodies exploited for profit. We are too aware of the cost of being denied our reflections, and we know callouts can only do so much to change the minds of people who cannot let us exist even in their made-up worlds.

How can we redirect some of our energies from trying to prove our humanity to the oppressors and instead give attention and care to our own experiences? If we recognize not all Asian Americans are the same, then we must make space to center our intersecting identities.

We chose the theme of “Resistant Bodies” because it was an accessible way for readers to talk about our lived experiences through our bodies. “Bodies,” physical and metaphoric, could hold many distinctions, but what about that other distinction: “resistance”?

The editorial staff opened ongoing conversations to redefine “resistance.” We wanted to envision it beyond the reactionary clash of fists and waving of signs. When we read about mixed-race heritage and body image, we were challenged to open up the definition of Asian American. When we listened to the journey of an immigrant environmental activist, we resisted the notion that issues of sustainability are “only for white people” and inaccessible to people of color and immigrants. When we saw art about the performance of queer identities, we refused the perception that all queers are white and all Asian Americans are straight. With a collective “mmm” of agreement, we began to see resistance movements woven into every tool we use in activist movements: our language, our artwork, and our physical bodies.

Mainstream media depictions of Asian Americans are filled with stereotypes that we are obligated to celebrate simply because they are so few and far between. But our many-layered lives are not just throwaway material for easy laughs. This is our first foray into creating that space. We recognize that this issue release could never encompass all of our stories, and we encourage readers to submit their own throughout the year. We invite you to engage with these pieces by Asian Americans, for Asian Americans.

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